Immediately afterward another crash was heard.  The bowsprit of the three-master had snapped, and the two ships were now clear of each other.  As the liner steamed ahead, the boy saw the big broken bowsprit dangling in the bow of the other vessel, and he also saw great clouds of sails drop down upon the crew.

The liner proceeded on her course at full speed, and the sailing vessel was soon lost to sight in the fog.  The last thing the boy saw was the men trying to get out from under the mass of sails.  Thereupon the vessel disappeared as completely as if it had slipped in behind a great wall.  “It has already gone down,” thought the lad.  And now he stood listening for distress calls.

Then a rough and powerful voice was heard to shout across to the steamer:  “Save your passengers!  Put out your boats!”

Again there was silence, and again the boy listened for distress calls.  Then the voice was heard as if from far away:  “Pray to God, for you are lost!”

At that moment an old sailor stepped up to the captain.  “We have a big hole amidships; we are going down,” he said, quietly and impressively.

***

Soon after the nature of the accident had become known on the steamer, a little lady appeared on deck.  She had come from one of the first-class cabins with certain and determined step.  She was dressed from top to toe, and her bonnet strings were tied in a natty bowknot.  She was a little old lady, with crimped hair, round, owlish-looking eyes, and a florid complexion.

During the short time the voyage had lasted she had managed to become acquainted with every one on board.  Everybody knew that her name was Miss Hoggs, and she had told them all—­the crew as well as passengers—­time and again, that she was never afraid.  She didn’t see why she need have any fear, she would have to die at one time or another, she had said, and whether it happened soon or late was immaterial to her.  Nor was she afraid now; she had gone up on deck simply to see if anything interesting or exciting was going on there.

The first thing she saw was two sailors darting past with wild, terrified faces.  Stewards, half dressed, came running out from their quarters to go down and waken the passengers and get them on deck.  An old sailor came up with an armful of life belts, which he tossed on the deck.  A little cabin boy in his shirt was crouching in a corner, sobbing and shrieking that he was going to die.  The captain was on his bridge, and Miss Hoggs heard him give orders to stop the engines and to man the lifeboats.

Engineers and stokers came rushing up the grimy ladder leading from the engine room, shouting that the water had already reached the fires.  Miss Hoggs had hardly been on deck a moment before it was thronged with steerage passengers, who had come up in a body, shrieking that they would have to hurry and make for the boats, otherwise none but the first and second class passengers would be saved.